A New Life
by Jessie611
Summary: Now complete. Chloe struggles with the choices she may have to make.
1. Chapter 1

She'd been awake for most of the night, throwing up and aching like she wouldn't believe possible. It was like the worst hangover ever but without the fun of the dinking part. She'd managed to grab a couple of hours sleep in the early hours and was now attempting to sit herself up on the side of the bed. She swung her legs around as another wave of nausea enveloped her. Feeling light headed she sat for a while, controlling the nausea to reduce any risk of motion sickness when she started to move for real.

Maybe I should eat something, she thought. "Bad idea Chloe" she said to herself when another wave hit her at the thought of food. She managed to sidle out of the bed and move slowly to the bathroom where she splashed cold water over her face then stared at her reflection in the mirror; hollow eyes, dark circles and a paler than usual complexion did nothing to appease her sense of despair. She didn't have much going for her in the looks department at the best of times so this was just great. She couldn't even face her morning coffee which was just about the worst situation she could find herself in at this time of the morning. She opted for a cup of chamomile tea instead; for some reason she thought of Edgar at that moment, a single tear forming and rolling softly down her cheek. Chamomile tea and Edgar? She knew there was a connection somewhere but couldn't quite process it.

Oh god, she thought to herself – this is what she's like without her coffee. She was going to be totally useless at work today. She thought about calling in sick but if she did that Bill and Karen were likely to send the cavalry round – Chloe O'Brian sick? They'd probably assume she was being held by terrorists and had called in sick under duress. Anyway, she wanted to go in today; it was to be Jack's first day back at work and she wanted to see that he was ok. She hadn't seen him since he'd been rescued from the boat headed for China and as she'd spent practically the best part of a week working around the clock to find him she felt she had a vested interest in his welfare now. At least that's what she told herself.

Since Jack's rescue he had spent a week in hospital having his injuries treated, then had taken a month off – spending time with both Kim and Audrey. The anticipation of seeing him today had occupied most of her waking thoughts over the weekend. Chloe got up from her seat at the kitchen table, the chamomile tea seeming to have settled the nausea for the time being at least. As she showered she recalled that she'd been ill one day last week and mentally noted that a trip to the doctor wouldn't be a bad idea. She had been under some added pressure the last few weeks and put these episodes down to that, but she thought a medical would be sensible.

By the time Chloe got to work she felt marginally better, still tired and aching a little but the nausea had gone. Bill caught her as she walked in, checking that she was ok and looking concerned. Chloe told him she was fine, frowning at his new found friendliness to her. She recalled how sharply he had spoken to her in the past and realised that over the course of the last few weeks something had changed. It probably had something to do with the time they had worked together from his home to try to help Jack. It was then that they both realised they were genuinely working for the same team. He told her that Jack was here, in conference room one and that he had already asked after her, obviously wanting to thank her for her part in his rescue.

Chloe stood at her station and looked over at the conference room, she could only see the back of his head and he was surrounded by a number of people from division. She decided she would catch up with him later.

Chloe went about her normal morning routine (normal being a day when there was no major threat) for thirty minutes or so before her system crashed. She growled in frustration as she tried unsuccessfully to reboot it. After a few minutes she went into tech one to reboot from there. She was just finishing up when she heard a movement behind her, turned and saw him standing before her, a lopsided smile on his face.

"Hey Chloe"

"Hi Jack. You look better than you did in the pictures I saw of you – which isn't surprising really I guess….. God, sorry that's insensitive of me isn't it?"

He laughed then, a sound she rarely heard from him. "It's good to see you Chloe, how've you been?"

"Ok I guess" she smiled.

Jack walked towards her, stopping barely inches from her. "Chloe I want to thank you for what you did, I've heard from Bill and Karen that without you I would probably be in China by now. Not just that though, I want to thank you for helping me that day; with Logan, with everything."

Chloe saw a flicker of pain cross his face, probably remembering the almost impossible situation he had found himself in.

"Jack, its fine. I was doing my job, if anyone needs to be thanked for that day it is you. You're the one who put everything on the line; I was just supporting you because I knew you were right. I trusted you."

Jack reached up and stroked the side of her face while she looked into his eyes, searching for a clue as to how he really was. He closed his eyes briefly as if trying to shut out the memories that must surely still be haunting him. The hand that had been on her face moved around the back of her neck and he pulled her to him. He buried his face in her hair and held her tightly. Chloe wasn't normally comfortable with this kind of close contact but today this felt right.

They stood like that for several moments, interrupted only by Bill who came into the room looking for Chloe. "Sorry to interrupt" he said, "Chloe, I need you to take a look at something for me."

Chloe stepped away from Jack, smiling up at him. "I'm glad you're back" she said as she walked away with Bill.

Jack smiled to himself, a kind of sad smile. "Yeah, me too" He said to no-one in particular.

Chloe followed Bill to her station, noticing that Spencer had arrived. Every time she saw him it made her angry. Oh, she understood that he was just following orders, that he wasn't really a traitor, but she felt he'd been a traitor to her, that he'd betrayed her in the worst possible way. She tried to ignore her feelings for the sake of work, he'd been brought back in when Jack was missing and just hadn't gone away yet. She wanted to know how long he would be here but didn't want to ask Bill, didn't want to risk giving her feelings away.

Just then she noticed that Jack was standing opposite, staring at Spencer, his controlled anger clear. Oh shit, she probably should have warned him. Before she had a chance to approach him, Spencer looked up and, seeing the expression on Jack's face he paled slightly. Jack approached his workstation just as Spencer stood up "it's good to see you back" he said nervously. Jack's expression didn't change and Chloe decided it was time to intervene.

She stood with her hand on Jack's arm, explaining to him why Spencer had been brought back in, how he had helped to find Jack. "And you're ok with this?" Jack asked Chloe.

"Well, no….yeah, oh I don't know Jack, but this is work. It's not personal."

"It's always personal Chloe".

Just then Chloe felt another wave of nausea come over her; she managed to control it but had more difficulty controlling the dizziness that accompanied it. She must have paled significantly because Jack was looking at her with concern, or at least she thought it was concern. It was hard to tell when he was so out of focus. As her legs buckled beneath her, she felt strong arms around her. Jack lifted her easily and she heard him calling her name as though through a long tunnel as he carried her into medical.

Chloe had been out of it for a couple of hours, drifting in and out of consciousness. She was dehydrated so they'd started an IV and ran some tests. When she finally woke, she was on her own. She looked around her trying to figure out what had happened just as the door opened and Jack walked in. "Hey, you ok?" he asked gently.

"I don't know, what happened?"

"You fainted. The doctor said you must have been ill for a while to get that dehydrated. Why didn't you say something Chloe?"

"I guess I thought it was just some kind of bug or something, I don't know…I suppose I'm not the best at looking after myself and certainly not good at giving into things like bugs."

"Tell me about it" Jack said a wry smile on his face.

Just then the doctor came in with the results of her tests. Jack was just about to excuse himself but Chloe wasn't ready yet to be on her own "stay, please" she said.

He sat down next to her on the side of the bed. "Actually Ms O'Brian, you may prefer to hear the results of the tests alone" said the doctor kindly.

"Why?" she asked sharply "is something wrong?"

"Not exactly, it's just that the results are personal and you may prefer not to discuss them in front of a colleague."

She felt Jack's hand reach over and squeeze her own, as if telling her it was her decision. "No, its ok you can tell me in front of Jack."

"Well, if you're sure" and, at Chloe's nod, the doctor continued. "The test results revealed that you're dehydrated Ms O'Brian, most likely as a result of the early stages of pregnancy."

Chloe looked shocked, as did Jack. "But…..but, how can that be? I'm not pregnant" she said, her voice rising in near panic.

"Actually, you are." The doctor said kindly. "We're not sure how far, I'll need to examine you and ask a few more questions to determine that."

Chloe's mind was in turmoil. Pregnant? Oh my god, I can't be pregnant. I'd be the world's worst mother. She felt tears sting the back of her eyes, she'd been scared a lot since working at CTU but she'd never been as scared as she was now.

The doctor told her he would leave them for a few minutes and would return shortly to examine her. Thoughts were running wildly through her mind, how pregnant is she? Oh, god, would she tell Spencer? Well, it would be hard to keep it from him seeing as he was working back here now.

She felt something stroking the back of her hand, looked up and saw Jack, his face full of concern. She'd forgotten for a moment that he was there. He shifted on the bed so he was facing her, taking her hand in his. "Chloe?" he asked hesitantly.

"Shit Jack, how did this happen?"

He smiled to himself before answering "well I would imagine in the normal way Chloe."

"Funny" she said rolling her eyes and concentrating her features in her trademark frown that told him she was trying to process everything that was happening to her. He sat, offering her comfort until the doctor appeared in the doorway a few minutes later.

"Chloe, I'll come back in a while" he said before giving her hand a final squeeze and leaving the room.

The doctor asked her several questions then examined her. When he'd finished he sat in the chair next to the bed. "The thing is Ms O'Brian; the dates you have given me don't tally with my examination."

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused.

"Well, according to the dates that would make you about six weeks pregnant. In actual fact you appear to be closer to fourteen weeks."

"How can that be? I hadn't been with anyone back that far. The only time for a couple of years was about six weeks ago…..oh my god, but…but that can't be." She said; panic engulfing her at the realisation that there had been another time. "No, it can't be from then, I would've known. It can't be him" she said tears now flowing freely down her face. Oh god, this was worse than she'd thought. Not that anyone could be much worse than Spencer, but at least she knew she could handle him. The other one, well….he was a different matter entirely.


	2. Chapter 2

She sat in her apartment, staring at the wall. Her eyes were red and puffy from hours of crying. She laughed to herself, thinking that crying wasn't going to help her dehydration; at least she could smile at something even if it was her own stupidity. Obviously her hormones were playing havoc with her usual logic. She tried to think of something positive that had come out of this day and about the only thing she came up with was that Spencer wasn't the father of her baby. Oh god, she should stop that train of thought as it linked straight into the memory of that night fourteen weeks ago.

She'd been meeting him in a motel; not far from where he'd been living at the time. He'd contacted her, asking to meet. They'd both known it was dangerous but she wanted to do what she could for him. He'd been booked in under an assumed identity and she'd arrived in the middle of the night so as not to be seen. When he'd opened the door to her she'd been shocked. She'd seen him looking bad before, for god's sakes she'd seen him when he'd been addicted to heroin, but she'd never seen him looking like this. She could tell he'd been drinking, that he hadn't really been eating or sleeping. When she walked through the door he'd held her to him, it had surprised her as they'd never had that kind of relationship. Up until then it had all been about work.

She'd sat with him and listened. Listened to him talking about his life, about what was left of it anyway. He was haunted by thoughts of those close to him, particularly Kim. He'd taken with him Chloe's comments from when they met briefly in Chicago, about how Kim had been heartbroken since she'd found out he'd died. For months now he'd played that conversation over in his mind; had played the scenario of her finding out about his death and how it had affected her. He tortured himself as only a parent could; wanting to be there for his child but knowing if he was, she would be in danger.

He'd come up with a plan; a plan to give himself up to the Chinese after first contacting Kim to tell her he was alive, that he loved her. Chloe had talked him out of it though, she'd made him realise that it wouldn't help Kim, that it might even make things worse as it'd add a ton of guilt that he'd effectively handed himself over because of her and her inability to handle his death. He'd cried then and she'd held him. She'd never been good at human contact during a crisis but to do it for him seemed relatively easy. Possibly because she knew he had no-one else. Oh, she'd known he had met a woman, the woman he was renting a room off of, but that wasn't the same; she didn't know him as Jack, didn't know his history.

After a couple of hours she'd told him she should leave, it would be safer for both of them. But, he'd asked her to stay, telling her he just needed her company for a while longer, that he'd get her out of here safely, that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She'd believed him, why wouldn't she? They'd continued talking until the early hours, him talking more about what his life was like now and she'd talked to him about her life, about who she was as a person rather than just the 'work' Chloe that he'd known.

When it had been time for her to leave, he'd held her again. This time with less desperation and more affection; he'd held her face in his hands, looking into her eyes and thanked her. Then he'd leaned in and kissed her gently. She was sure he'd meant it to be brief but something had happened, something that had made him pull away sharply; staring at her as though he'd been shocked by something. Then suddenly he'd kissed her again, this time it was deep and it went on for what seemed like a lifetime. There was a passion she'd never experienced before; it pulled her in, taking hold of the longing she felt for him and turning it into something that neither of them could stop. They'd made love; it was fast and it was fuelled by a certain knowledge in both of them that this would be the only time they would be together like this.

She'd left just as the sun was rising and she'd felt empty as she'd walked away from him. The only way she could deal with the emotional fall out was to pretend it hadn't happened and that's what she'd done. She'd thought of him often but only in the context of their professional relationship; she hadn't had any contact with him until she'd called him after she'd heard about Tony and Michelle.

And here she was sitting in her apartment, kicking herself for being so stupid. After all, if she hadn't done the typical Chloe thing of blocking it all out she might have had the forethought to do something about it before she'd got to this stage. They hadn't used protection, there hadn't been time. Oh god, she sounded like a teenager now, not an independent woman in her thirties. She was shaken out of her thoughts by a gentle but persistent knocking at her door. At first she tried to ignore it but then she heard her name being called. She groaned at the sound of Jack's voice, he was the last person she wanted to see but she knew he wouldn't leave until he knew she was ok.

She opened the door, standing back so he could come in. "Hi, how're you doing?" he asked, looking at her intently.

"Well, it's been weird; you know, like it's all a bit unreal and happening to someone else."

"Yeah, I can imagine. Listen, sorry I didn't get back to you earlier. I got called out and by the time I got back to medical you'd already been sent home."

"That's ok Jack. You don't have to worry about me you know, this isn't your problem" she said sharply, too sharply really as it caused him to raise his eyebrow questioningly. "Sorry, I guess I'm even more cranky than usual."

"Chloe, I'm just concerned. I don't want you going through this alone. I want to be able to help if I can".

Chloe sighed deeply, not knowing what to say to that. He couldn't help really because she couldn't tell him. She didn't even know if he remembered that night and even if he did he deserved to be happy and she knew he was happy with Audrey. What would news like this do to their relationship?

"Are you going to tell Spencer?"

"Spencer? Why would I want to tell Spencer?" she asked scowling. And then it dawned on her, of course; Jack assumed that the baby was Spencer's. "God, I don't know Jack, Spencer's an idiot but I'm not going to be able to hide it from him seeing as we're both working at CTU." That wasn't really a lie, she told herself. She wouldn't be able to hide it from Spencer; just like she wouldn't be able to hide it from anyone. She groaned again and sat down on the couch, feeling the despair washing over her again.

Jack sat next to her, taking her hands in his. "Hey, it'll be ok you know. Lot's of women go through this and you're stronger than most of them Chloe. You can do this with or without Spencer."

"Jack, I don't have a maternal bone in my body. I only learnt how to change a diaper with Angela a few years ago and even then Chase used to say I was rubbish at it".

"Hey, children are much more than diapers and feeding. It's about teaching them to live their lives, to be happy, to be safe. It's about protecting them when they can't protect themselves while at the same time teaching them to protect themselves later in life. That's something you'll be great at Chloe, much better than most people, much better than me" he said, realising how true that was. Chloe was a protector and most of the time she succeeded.

Jack only stayed for a few moments, seeing how tired she was. He checked that she didn't need anything then gave her his new cell number, insisting that if she needed anything she was to call him day or night. After he'd gone, she sat there for a while, letting his words sink in. He obviously didn't have a clue that he was the father. That was good, he need never know. Her mind made up, Chloe went to bed. She was determined that Jack would never know the truth.


	3. Chapter 3

Chloe had taken a couple of days off work, during which time Jack had phoned but she'd told him she was fine, that she didn't need anything. She'd spent most of her time sleeping, trying to regain some of her strength. By the time she went back to work she was almost back to her old self. The only difference was that she was acutely self conscious of what she thought was an obvious swelling around her middle. She'd only really noticed it a couple of days before, but it was definitely there; a constant reminder that she was more than three months pregnant. Oh, she knew no-one else would really notice at this stage but the mere fact that _she_ noticed was enough to send her into a wardrobe panic. She'd spent two hours this morning trying to find something to wear that wouldn't alert anyone to her condition.

Jack was still the only one that knew; the irony was that he was the last person she wanted to know. He was the first person she saw as she walked into work that morning; he smiled but she looked away quickly, scurrying over to her station and busying herself to avoid any uncomfortable feelings. When she looked up Jack was gone, she looked around and caught Spencer staring at her intently; she scowled at the situation she found herself in. How complicated was this going to get?

Just then her phone rang, she picked it up quickly growling "What?" into the receiver before she remembered that she was no longer at home; this was work and it required a little more grace and socialisation skills than her normal environment. "Sorry! O'Brian. How can I help?" she said trying to ensure that at least some warmth emanated from her voice.

"Chloe, its Bill. Can I see you for a moment?"

Bill was sitting behind his desk when she arrived at his office, he ushered her in. "Sit" he offered.

Chloe sat, still scowling and wondering what she was doing there. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine, ….better….thanks for asking".

"Good. I'm glad to hear it because I want you to go in the field to run comms for Curtis. There's a problem with the link up and the IT techs have told us we need to run comms in the field for the next couple of hours."

"Why me?"

"Must we go through this every time I ask you to go into the field Chloe? You know why. You're the best and today we need the best, Curtis is looking for a new lead, we've had intel that leads us to believe that this man is living locally."

Chloe's response was to raise her eyes skywards and sigh. Just then Jack tapped on the glass door and at Bill's nod came into the room. Bill turned to Chloe, dismissing her saying "Curtis is waiting for you downstairs, you'll be fine Chloe."

Chloe got up and walked to the door just as Jack processed what he'd just heard. "Wait Chloe" he said, turning to Bill. "You're not sending Chloe into the field are you?"

"Why, what's the problem? Chloe has told me she feels fine."

Jack looked at Chloe "you know you shouldn't be doing this Chloe."

"It's ok Jack, please…..just leave it"

"No Chloe, I won't leave it. I'm not usually one to worry too much about ignoring protocol but this time I have to insist that protocol be followed."

Bill frowned at the two of them, not having a clue what they were talking about. "Does someone want to let me know what's going on?"

Jack and Chloe looked at each other, both stubborn, both refusing to give in to the pleading look reflected in each of their expressions. Jack spoke first, refusing to take his eyes off Chloe; "it's not really for me to say Bill but trust me Chloe is not fit to be going out into the field."

Bill frowned looking from one to the other. "Chloe? You want to tell me?"

Chloe shifted uncomfortably where she stood, desperate to get out of there, to run and never turn back. How had everything turned out to be such a mess? Eventually, with a heavy sigh and a harsh look in Jack's direction she turned to Bill saying "Jack is referring to the protocol that states agents must not work in the field when pregnant."

Bill stared at her in shock. "Pregnant? You're pregnant? How far gone?"

Chloe had to use all her strength to hold onto her emotions then, the thought of lying almost overwhelming her. But, on the other hand she realised this was the first hurdle to covering up the truth behind her pregnancy. "Only a few weeks" she said, clearly uncomfortable.

"Ok, we'll send someone else".

At that Chloe gave them both a brief, cold smile "Ok, thanks" she said abruptly before turning and walking out the door.

Jack looked at her retreating back then turned to Bill "give me a second Bill" he said before following her. He caught up with her at the top of the stairs, taking hold of her arm and pulling her into the adjacent corridor. "Chloe, I'm sorry. I know you didn't want anyone to know, I'm just worried about you and don't want you to put yourself or the baby at risk".

Chloe felt angry tears sting the back of her eyes. "Jack, how many times do I have to tell you I don't need you looking out for me? I'm fine. I just wish you'd leave me alone, I need to handle this my way."

Jack looked hurt but didn't try and stop her when she walked away. He stood staring after her, then after a few moments shook himself out of his thoughts, wiping a hand across his eyes in an attempt to clear his mind.

Spencer had gone with Curtis, somewhat to Chloe's relief. At least that was one less brooding ex-lover she had to deal with. She almost laughed at that thought; she, Chloe O'Brian the object of work place angst? How very Bridget Jones. Just then her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Audrey Raines. Chloe groaned inwardly, this was all she needed. She didn't have a problem with Audrey, actually she quite liked her; particularly after Audrey had come around and worked with them when Jack had returned from his self imposed exile. Audrey noticed Chloe looking at her and she smiled warmly.

"Hi Chloe" she said as she approached her work station "how are you?"

"Fine". How many times was she going to use that word today? How many times were people going to ask her how she was?

"Chloe, I've wanted to talk to you for a while. Just to say thank you for working to bring Jack back. If it hadn't been for you I dread to think where he'd be right now."

"It's ok, I was just doing my job"

Audrey smiled at that, then noticing Jack leaving Bill's office and walking down the stairs, she excused herself and went to him. They embraced briefly, smiling warmly at each other before heading toward the break room together.

Chloe sighed heavily; how much more of this could she take?


	4. Chapter 4

Chloe walked through the door of her apartment, closing it behind her then leaning against it. Today had been a bad day; and now to top everything she'd had to tell Bill. She trusted him not to share it with anyone other than maybe Karen, and that was ok because she knew Karen would be discreet.

Just as Chloe sat down on the couch and slipped off her shoes for a brief nap there was a knock at the door. She groaned inwardly at the prospect of no rest and walked over to the door. She was surprised to find Spencer standing the other side of it.

"Chloe, I need to talk to you. Can I come in?"

"Spencer, how many times do I have to tell you there's nothing to talk about? It's over."

"I heard something at work today Chloe and I want to know if it's true".

"Wh…what did you hear?" she asked moving aside to let him in, at the same time she felt panic rising at the prospect of what he was about to say.

"I heard that you're pregnant Chloe, is it true?"

"Where the hell did you hear that?"

"From you Chloe, I heard it from you." He said, looking at her intently and awaiting her response.

"But, how? I haven't been talking about it." She frowned, trying to recall any situations he may have overheard. Just then, she remembered the conversation with Bill and Jack, trying to recall what Spencer had been doing just before she went up there. He'd been watching her, like he'd always been watching her. And then the realisation of what had happened hit her.

"You bastard, you were spying on me, listening in on my conversation with Bill. I don't know why I'm surprised, it's what you're good at after all." Chloe turned to walk away from him, shouting at him to get out and stay away from her. She didn't get far because he grabbed her arm harshly and turned her back to face him so she was now standing only inches from him. She struggled to get out of his grasp but he held on fast.

"You're not going anywhere Chloe, not until you tell me the truth. You said you were only a few weeks pregnant so I'm assuming it's mine. I have rights in this situation you know" he said angrily.

"You have no rights, to me or this baby Spencer, now I want you to get out" she shouted.

His grip tightened on her arms and he shook her slightly. "Chloe I am not leaving here until you discuss this with me. I am this baby's father and I want to know what you intend doing about it."

Chloe realised she was backed into a corner with only one escape route – the truth. "You are not the father Spencer."

His grip loosened a little as he stared at her in shock. "How can you know that Chloe? Even if you were sleeping with someone else at the time, how can you be sure?"

"I wasn't sleeping with someone else at the time and I'm a lot more than a few weeks pregnant, more like a few months. I'll happily share my medical records with you if you want proof but I was pregnant before I even slept with you; I just didn't know it at the time."

She eased herself out of his grasp, taking advantage of the shock that had caused him to all but let go of her. She walked towards her bag and pulled out a piece of paper; the summary of her recent medical examination and handed it to him. The shock left him and was replaced by something more like anger. He threw the paper on the ground and walked towards her again, taking hold of her roughly.

"You know something Chloe, that morning when I was here you told me you didn't want anyone to know, didn't want them to think you were a slut" he snarled angrily. "Well, let me tell you I was wrong when I said you didn't have to worry about that. You are a slut Chloe, a cheap little slut who deserves everything she gets". He smiled menacingly at her as his hands reached into her hair, holding her fast as his lips crushed down on hers in a bruising attack.

Chloe struggled against him, trying to push him away but he was stronger than her. She attempted to kick him in the shins but he was standing too close so she was unable to get enough leverage. Just then, a voice shouted out from her doorway.

"Get away from her Spencer. NOW!"

Spencer jumped back from her in shock and both he and Chloe stared in surprise at the sight of Karen Hayes in the doorway to Chloe's apartment.

Karen moved towards him, the anger clear on her face and in her voice. "Get out Spencer and don't come near her again or believe me you will have the whole of CTU field ops after your blood."

Spencer smiled briefly, a cold smile. "Don't worry, I'm going. I won't be seeing you again Chloe – have a nice life." On that note he turned and walked out the door.

Chloe stood there trembling slightly; she reached her hand up to her mouth and wiped away the blood that was now trickling slowly down her chin. Karen walked towards her, helping her to sit on the couch while she poured her a glass of water. When she handed Chloe the water she was trembling so much that some of it spilled over the side of the glass. Karen took the glass from her and set it down on the table.

Taking hold of her hands, Karen gently looked into her eyes saying "It's ok Chloe, he's gone and I don't think he'll be coming back."

Chloe took two or three deep breaths in an effort to regain her composure. She looked at Karen again as if seeing her for the first time. "Why are you here? How did you get in?"

"Your door wasn't closed properly so when I heard the commotion I just came in" she said, trying to gauge Chloe's possible response to the reason she was here. "I'm here, well I'm here because Jack and Bill asked me to come. They were worried about you. They thought it might help for you to have a woman to talk to." Karen smiled kindly at her.

That smile was Chloe's undoing. She cried softly, out of shock from what had happened with Spencer, out of fear for what she would do next and, out of gratitude to her friends and the woman sitting opposite her. Karen sat, holding her hands and letting her cry.

When she'd finished Karen placed a cup of tea in front of her, along with a box of tissues. Chloe smiled weakly through her tears and thanked Karen for her kindness. They sat for a few moments in silence, both of them sipping their tea and contemplating how they would break the silence.

Karen spoke first. "So, I gather from that exchange that Spencer isn't the father then."

"No." Chloe said, unsure what else to tell her.

"Chloe, you can talk to me about this or not. The choice is yours, I want to help if I can but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"I don't know what else to say."

"Do you know who the father is Chloe?"

"Of course I do" she said angrily. "Despite what Spencer said I'm not a slut you know".

"I know Chloe, it's just sometimes things happen and …well, sometimes it's difficult to be sure. I have a friend who once found out she was pregnant after she was raped. I guess I was just wondering if anything like that had happened to you."

"No" Chloe said quickly trying to reassure her "no, I wasn't raped. It was a one off though."

"And do you still see this man Chloe. Do you still have contact with him?"

Chloe hesitated; concerned that she didn't want to give anything away. Eventually she answered "yes I still see him, but not in a romantic way. He is with someone else and I can't tell him. If I do he will feel responsible, will feel that he has to support me."

"And would that be so bad?"

"Yes, he's happy. He deserves to be happy. He's been through so much, he…." Chloe stopped the flow of words, realising she was saying too much.

Karen smiled gently at her. "Chloe, if there's one thing I know it's that whatever you think you are doing to protect him will end up hurting you and possibly him. But more importantly there are enough children in this world without a father that I think if this man is a good man then you should consider having him in your baby's life. The rest is up to him to deal with; if his relationship is strong enough it can survive this."

Chloe sighed "you don't know him like I know him. He is a good man, someone who will give up everything for this child and I don't want to feel that he is with me just for that. If he's with me I want it to be for the right reasons."

"Chloe, I may not know him as well as you do but I know that he cares for you, that he is currently tying himself up in knots trying to support you, trying to find a way to look after you. I think he will handle this just fine."

"How can you be sure who it is, that you know who I'm talking about?"

"Jack? Because I've seen the way you look at him and I've seen the way he looks at you. It wasn't too hard to work it out."

Chloe sat staring at the wall then; taking a deep breath she turned to Karen, saying "I don't know how to tell him. I don't want to hurt him."

"Don't you think it will hurt him more to have a child he doesn't know is his? It's up to you Chloe but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how this might turn out. I know that Jack wanted to come and talk to you himself tonight but Bill persuaded him to let me come. I suspect that means he's not busy right now, you could call him and ask him to come over, get it over and done with."

Chloe felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach at the thought of telling him the truth but she knew Karen was right; she nodded in agreement at Karen, picked up her phone and dialled his number. Karen was right, he wasn't busy and he told her he'd be over in ten minutes.

Eight minutes later he was in her apartment, having passed Karen on the stairs; Karen had told him to go on up, that the door was open. He walked in, closing the door behind him just as Chloe was coming out of the bathroom. The first thing he noticed was her swollen and bruised bottom lip.

"What happened Chloe?" he asked, concern lacing his words.

"It's nothing Jack, Spencer was here and he was angry. He didn't hurt me though, not really."

"Sonofabitch" he spat out, closing the gap between them and reaching up to examine the bruise. His fingers were gentle and Chloe closed her eyes against his touch, enjoying the warmth of his closeness. Her eyes blinked open when she felt his fingers reaching to stroke her cheek gently.

"Chloe, why did he do that to you? Did you tell him?"

"No, I didn't need to, he already knew. He listened in on the conversation with Bill earlier today."

"Why did he react so badly?"

Chloe didn't answer him but moved away towards the couch, asking him to sit with her. She summoned every ounce of courage to tell him the truth.

"Jack, he reacted badly because I told him that the baby wasn't his, that it couldn't be his. Oh, I don't think he was particularly bothered about the baby, I think it was more that I didn't want him. I think his ego was bruised more than anything."

Jack looked at her in confusion, trying to process what she was telling him. "But, if Spencer is not the father who is? I didn't know there was anyone else in your life Chloe".

"There isn't…I…I", she clammed up, couldn't find the words to tell him. She could see the frown on his face, the confusion then replaced with more concern.

"Chloe? Did someone do this to you? Hurt you?"

"No, no Jack" she laughed nervously then, "why does everyone think that? Karen asked me the same thing. Jack, please I'm trying to tell you in my own way but this is difficult. I'm not sure how you're going to react and that scares me."

"React? Me? What're you talking about Chloe?"

"Ok, here goes" she said taking a deep breath then blurting it out "you're the father Jack. I lied when I said I was only a few weeks pregnant, actually I'm over three months. I don't know how I didn't know before but I guess I was under stress and probably in a bit of denial. But,..never mind, I'm babbling….". She looked at him then, saw the stunned look on his face and started babbling again, unable to stand the silence.

"I know you're probably angry, I know this is the last thing you need. I mean, what with you and Audrey just having found each other again. I don't want this to come between you, I want you to be happy. You don't have to do anything, I'll leave CTU, leave LA. I don't want you to feel obligated to me….I…"

"Shut up Chloe"

"Wh…what did you say?" she looked at him again, realising she hadn't been looking at him the whole time she'd been talking.

"I said, shut up Chloe. Just long enough for me to get a word in edgeways."

Chloe shut up, but she still couldn't look at him, the most she could manage was the odd furtive glance in his direction. He stood up then, started pacing, then stopped and looked back at her. His expression was unreadable, even to her and she was usually the one person who could tell what he was thinking.

She couldn't help it, she just had to start talking again, couldn't bear the silence. "Jack, if you want to get a word in then please do, this is killing me – you know I can't bear uncomfortable silences. I know this is a shock. Shit, I don't even know if you remember that night. If you don't then I can imagine it's an even bigger shock, but….." her words trailed off at the look in his eyes.

He sat dwon next to her again, still not talking but took hold of one of her hands as if trying to reassure her before he was ready to speak. Eventually after a few moments he did speak.

"Chloe, of course I remember, how could I forget what you did for me that night? If it wasn't for you I really don't think I would have come through that. It's just..well, I assumed the baby was Spencer's, it never crossed my mind that it was mine. I don't know why, it just didn't"

"That's ok Jack. I did my best to hide it from you."

"Why? Why did you want to hide it from me?"

"I already told you Jack, weren't you listening? Because of Audrey, I didn't want to be responsible for ruining that for you." She saw something flicker over his face then, she thought it was understanding, that her words were finally filtering through.

"Chloe, there is no me and Audrey. Not anymore, there hasn't been since I got back from China".

It was Chloe's turn to look surprised. "What do you mean, no you and Audrey?"

"I mean, we never got off the ground again. When I got back I told her I was in love with someone else Chloe".

"Someone else? Who?" She looked at him quizzically then realisation hit her "Oh! You mean Diane, of course. Well that must have surprised her."

Jack laughed then, a short laugh that was more of a choking sound. He rolled his eyes in exasperation then, taking hold of both her hands and looking her square in the eyes, he said "No, Chloe. Not Diane. You. I'm in love with you Chloe."

It was Chloe's turn to look stunned.


	5. Chapter 5

"But you can't be in love with me Jack, that's just stupid" Chloe said, screwing up her face to emphasise the point.

"Why stupid?" Jack asked smiling gently.

"Well, first we aren't socially compatible; second I'm not your type; and third …well third, uh…oh I don't know Jack but I'm sure there's a third reason somewhere".

"Chloe if you have to start looking for reasons then you have no argument. Just accept it."

Chloe got up off the couch and headed toward the kitchen "tea, I'll make tea" she muttered under her breath.

She didn't get to the kitchen though; she was stopped by a strong arm snaking round her waist which then promptly pulled her into his lap. She struggled for all of two seconds before he stopped her again, this time by his mouth on hers.

As kisses went it was a peach; all hot and inviting. He started by gently teasing her lips with his own, his hands moving slowly on her shoulders. Then, as soon as he felt her begin to cave he placed one hand in her hair, pulling her closer toward him and using his tongue to coax a response from her. And he got what he wanted; Jack Bauer always got what he wanted.

They pulled apart slowly and Jack leaned back into the couch, taking her with him. Chloe sat in his arms for a few minutes, not speaking; just enjoying the sensation of being held. She broke the silence by announcing she was going to be sick.

Within seconds she was in the bathroom, leaning over the toilet with Jack crouching next to her, holding her hair out of the way and tracing circles on her back with his fingers, trying to soothe her. When she was done he soaked a wash cloth in cool water and gently wiped her face. After she'd brushed her teeth she stood staring at her reflection in the mirror above the basin, seeing a strange combination of pale skin and bright eyes. She turned to him then, surprised at how comfortable she felt with him being in such close proximity during what would normally be a very personal situation.

"Jack, I…I" she stopped then, tears threatening to overwhelm her. God, she hated weepy women and now she was turning into one of them. Jack closed the short space between them and pulled her into his arms, cradling her gently.

"This is ridiculous, I've never cried so much in my whole life as I have in the last few days."

He smiled at her then, saying "actually, it's kind of nice to see your vulnerable side Chloe. I always knew it was there but you do a good job of keeping it well hidden". He was stroking her hair gently, his eyes seeming capable of seeing whatever they wanted to see. Chloe had never had that experience before, had never felt so exposed to one person; it was as though he was able to get inside her head to see through the jumbled processes that went on in there sometimes.

She pulled away from him, not sure what to do, not sure what to say to him. "Jack, how did Audrey react when you told her?"

"I don't think it came as an enormous shock Chloe. I think she knew that things between us were doomed before I did. We'd only been together a couple of months when I disappeared and she thought I was dead for a year and a half. The only time we had together after that was the day you called me." Jack hesitated a little but went on to say "as soon as I saw her I convinced myself that was what I wanted. That I wanted to have the kind of life with Audrey that I'd had with Teri. I was wrong Chloe, I think I was looking for something I was never going to find; I've changed too much to go back to that kind of life. I want something different now."

Chloe thought that what he was saying made some sense, but at the same time she was still suspicious that he didn't really know what he wanted. She didn't want to be second best to anyone and, as much as she wanted him, she didn't want him if his heart belonged somewhere else.

"So, how am I different Jack? Other than the obvious lack of social skills, perfect hair, designer suits and a daddy who is high up in the political chain of command."

Jack smiled then, thinking how perfect Chloe was for him. "That's just it Chloe, all of those things are just that….things. I want a relationship where the main attraction is an understanding of each other, a partnership in the true sense of the word. I don't want someone who I feel I have to shut out to protect them; to protect the life I have with them. It's taken a long time for me to realise that a lot of the conflict I've felt personally has been because I've been leading two separate lives. I don't want to do that anymore. I need to accept who I am and I need to be with someone else who accepts that too."

Chloe sighed deeply, "and you think you will find that with me? I hate to say this Jack but it sounds very much like you are asking for something easy; something that feels comfortable. Oh, I can understand you wanting that; you deserve comfortable and easy after all you've been through but I'm not sure if that's what I want."

Jack looked at her intently for a moment before responding "Chloe, neither 'easy' or 'comfortable' are words I would associate with being with you, and you're wrong, that's not what I want." Chloe could hear the frustration creeping into his voice now; she knew he was not the most patient of men and if he's convinced himself that she's what he wants then she could understand how this must be making him feel.

"Jack, I don't know what to say, I just need to be sure this is what you want. I don't want you feeling trapped because of the baby. It's not that I'm trying to exclude you in any way, I want our baby to know its father; but I don't want to be with you unless we both feel that it's right for us."

They stood looking at each other for several minutes before he broke the silence. "Chloe, I'm not asking you to give me a lifelong commitment here and now. I realise that this has probably come as a shock to you, I just want you to be open to giving us a chance, that's all".

Chloe looked at him standing before her and wondered, not for the first time what was wrong with her. Here he was, the man she loved standing before her, telling her he loved her and she was putting obstacles in his way. She wished that she could be more like other women she knew, more like the Audrey's of this world; where she didn't feel the need to scratch too much below the surface, where she could just accept what he was saying at face value. But she knew that wouldn't work for her, she didn't want to take what he was saying at face value now, only to discover something deeper at a later date that might jeopardise what they had.

Then, she made her mind up what she was going to do. "Ok Jack, I accept that you believe you love me but I need to believe it for myself if this is going to work. We need to get to know each other properly in the context of a romantic relationship so,…well, you can take me out to dinner tomorrow – that'll be a start."

The look he gave her was full of wonderment for her ability to detach herself from any emotion relating to them when he was standing there in complete turmoil. "Ok, I think", his expressionchanged quickly to one that was almost predatory"So, I take it that you're not going to let me stay here tonight then."

She smiled at him then; a bright, brilliant smile that gave him hope and warmed his heart. "Jack, the reason I'm doing this is because once we make that sort of commitment to each other I know that I will never, ever be able to let you go."

He reached for her then, using his mouth in an attempt let her know in no uncertain terms what she was missing. When they broke apart they were both breathing hard and as he walked out of her door Chloe asked herself what the hell she was doing; she knew she was no fool but at this precise moment she felt as though she had just made the biggest mistake of her life in letting him go.

She could have kicked herself, after all it wasn't every day that someone like Jack Bauer told someone like her that he loved and wanted to be with her. She stopped herself from running out the door after him and took herself off to bed, feeling like a teenager. On that thought she growled angrily to herself, thinking that if he thought he was going to turn her to mush he had another think coming. Then in typical contrary Chloe fashion she drifted off to sleep with a small, satisfied smirk on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning Chloe arrived in work with butterflies in her stomach. She didn't really know what to expect when she saw him but she needn't have worried because when she got there he'd already left on a job. She settled into work, quickly dealing with a server problem that took the best part of the day to resolve. By mid afternoon she still hadn't seen him although he was expected back any time now. Chloe's stomach was rumbling and she was feeling a little light headed; a reminder that she should no longer skip lunch as she now had to look after herself for the sake of the baby.

She walked into the break room to make tea and prepare a snack. She'd only been there a couple of minutes when she heard the door open and looked up to see him standing there smiling at her. "Hey Chloe, how're you doing?" he asked.

"Ok" she said turning away and busying herself with the tea, not really sure of how to react to him. She heard him moving around behind her - then silence. She assumed he'd left the break room in the usual quiet way that he moved, so she let out a heavy sigh, "oh god" she moaned to herself - that interaction had been excruciatingly uncomfortable.

Then, she felt a hand on her shoulder and jumped suddenly. She turned quickly to find him standing directly in front of her. Before she knew what was happening she was backed up against the counter and he was kissing her deeply. Her legs sagged beneath her and she swore she was only upright because she was being held, partly by the counter, partly by him. The kiss lasted several minutes, broken mainly by their mutual need for air.

Chloe was the first to speak, feeling slightly flustered she said "gosh Jack, do you think that's appropriate behaviour when we're at work?"

He laughed at that which made her even more flustered "I don't care Chloe, and you really need to start getting used to it because I intend to do it quite a bit….a lot in fact."

Chloe sighed and blew her hair out of her eyes as she did so. Jack absently looked at what she had been preparing when he came in then; a slightly concerned look on his face said "is that your lunch Chloe? You know, you should be taking better care of yourself now." He gently reached out and rested his hand on her stomach as though he was laying claim to what was his. Chloe's butterflies came back with a vengeance and she allowed herself a moment just to relax into his touch and enjoy the sensation it was causing.

After a moment she broke away. "I know Jack; I just need to get into a better routine, that's all."

"So, what time shall I pick you up for dinner tonight? Shall we say about seven?"

"Ok" she said with a smile, secretly looking forward to their first date.

The rest of the afternoon went slowly as though there was some invisible force dragging out the day in order to make her even more nervous. To top it all she got stuck in the evening rush so by the time she got home she had less than an hour to get ready. She bathed quickly and dressed in a pale blue dress that had a form fitting bodice and a flowing skirt that ended just above her knees. When she looked in the mirror she was surprised at how she had filled the dress since the last time she'd worn it. She was standing staring in wonderment at her new figure when she heard him knock at the door.

"You look beautiful Chloe" Jack said as he walked into her apartment. He touched the side of her face and leant in to kiss her gently on the lips. Chloe felt something akin to a spark igniting deep down in her belly at his touch, as they parted she let out a lengthy sigh. Jack smiled, an obvious glint in his eye "We don't have to go out Chloe" he said, his hand now around her waist.

"Nice try Jack, but I'm hungry for more than just you at the moment."

Jack laughed "C'mon then" and led her out of the apartment and down to his car.

The meal had been relaxed which was saying something for Chloe. She wasn't usually any good at this kind of thing; usually she struggled to find something to say. But, for some reason with Jack she felt completely at ease.

Jack walked her back up to her apartment and stood in the doorway to say goodnight. "I won't come in Chloe, because if I do I can promise you I won't be leaving until the morning and I don't want to be responsible for rushing you."

He leant in to kiss her goodnight and again, the mere touch of his lips to hers sent her spiralling. Not one to normally throw caution to the wind, Chloe surprised herself when she was the one who deepened the kiss. She reached up towards him on her toes, putting her arms around him and tugging him towards her when he would otherwise have pulled away.

She heard him groan as he gathered her body close to his. After several minutes they finally pulled apart but only long enough for Chloe to kick the door shut and lead him into her bedroom.

"Are you sure?" Jack asked gently.

"I think I should be the one asking you Jack. Remember when I said once we took this step I wouldn't be able to let go?" at his nod, she said "well I meant it".

He smiled then "good, I'm glad". He again started kissing her, more insistently than before. Soon they were both hurriedly pulling at each others clothes; urgently wishing for that ultimate intimacy. Later, Chloe drifted off to sleep in his arms, wanting to stay like that forever.

They fell into a pattern where they would spend some time in her apartment and some time in his, but on the whole they were together pretty much most of the time. Chloe had never realised she could be this happy. She had got over her pregnancy sickness and was feeling more healthy than she'd felt in a long time. Jack seemed to be more relaxed and had a certain lightness about him that had been missing for a while.

Eventually, when Chloe wasfive months pregnant and they thought she would no longer be able to hide it, they decided to tell everyone about the baby and about them. Jack told Kim first and, although shocked she appeared to be genuinely happy for them. She had never particularly liked Chloe but she could see how content her dad was and that was something she was grateful for, whoever was the cause of it. Their co-workers had taken the news well although many were quite shocked by their declaration. Both Bill and Karen congratulated them warmly.

A few days after they had broken the news Chloe was walking through CTU looking for Jack. She was feeling tired and decided to leave early for the day and wanted to let him know she was going home and that she'd see him later. She searched all the obvious places and eventually decided to walk along the corridor that led to the interrogation rooms. These were the only rooms that couldn't be easily looked into from outside, most only having small windows in the doors that were often blacked out. As she got to the end of the corridor she noticed a room where the door was slightly ajar; as she approached she heard the familiar rumbling of his voice.

She reached the door and was just about to knock when she recognised a familiar female voice with him. She hadn't known that Audrey was here today and couldn't understand why she was; generally the DoD liaison only came in when there was a particular threat or an event where security needed to be enhanced. Not sure what to do, Chloe hesitated in the doorway.

It was then that she heard what they were saying. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop but when she heard Audrey telling him how much she loved him she knew she couldn't go in yet felt unable to walk away. Audrey was crying softly and Chloe could just make out the image of Jack holding her gently and stroking her hair.

"I love you Jack and I want to be with you" Audrey said. "We've wasted so much time, I can't wait any longer."

"Audrey I can't, you know that. Chloe is having my baby, I can't just abandon her."

Jack's words were like a knife through Chloe's heart. She couldn't understand why he was even having this conversation with Audrey. And why wasn't he telling Audrey that he didn't love her, that he loved Chloe now?

Chloe looked through the crack in the door again, just in time to see Audrey reaching up and placing her lips on his. Chloe stood rooted to the spot, waiting to see what Jack's response would be. When he didn't pull away immediately Chloe couldn't bear to look any more and just as she turned away she heard Jack growl out Audrey's name in what she took to be a moment of passion.

Chloe walked away, feeling as though her heart was splintering into a million pieces. Why had he done this to her? Hadn't she made it clear to him that she didn't want him unless he was convinced of his love for her? Hadn't she given him the perfect get out by telling him he could be a father to their child without being anything to her? She could have lived with that at the time if it had been his decision. But now, she didn't want to live with the knowledge that he was still in love with someone else. She couldn't live with it. She had been through varying degrees of betrayal in her personal life over the years, but this; well, this was the ultimate betrayal and one she didn't think she could get over.

Chloe left then. She walked out of CTU blindly, drove back to her apartment; although she couldn't remember any of the drive. Once inside she pulled a suitcase out of the closet and piled clothes and personal items into the bag; not bothering to fold them in her hurry to get out of there, to get out of LA.

Chloe called a cab, not wanting to be traced through her car licence as she knew he would do as soon as he realised she was gone. After all, Jack Bauer took his responsibilities seriously; and that was what she was in his eyes – a responsibility, nothing more, and nothing less.

Chloe got to the train station and booked a ticket to New York under an assumed name so as not to be identified when he started looking for her. She got on the train and sat down, closing her eyes against the pain that was threatening to tumble out. Closing her eyes against the tears that she refused to shed.


	7. Chapter 7

It had been three months since she'd left LA and she'd moved around a lot. She knew that he'd been looking for her but she was good at covering her tracks. Within days of leaving LA she'd created a false email account so she could let him know she was alive and ok. She'd told him she needed time on her own but that she'd contact him when she was ready.

She didn't intend to stay away from him forever. Once the baby was born she would get in touch so that he could have some contact, she just wasn't ready yet. She'd mainly done some temporary work in grocery stores and the like, knowing that if she tried to do any IT work it would make her easier to trace. But, knowing the money she had cleared from her account before she left LA wouldn't last much longer and that she wouldn't be able to work for a while once the baby arrived she'd decided to risk doing some consultancy work.

She was currently in San Francisco finishing a job for a security firm. She then intended to travel to Santa Monica whilst creating a false trail that would lead back to the east coast. She knew she wasn't being fair on him; after all he couldn't help who he loved. The logical part of her mind acknowledged that she could go back to LA and let him be the father she knew he so wanted to be to their baby and she'd get over her broken heart eventually. But she'd meant it when she'd told him she wouldn't easily let him go; oh, she knew it probably didn't seem that way after she ran so quickly but the reality was he was still in her heart and that was the part of her that couldn't let him go. She needed more time to rebuild the wall that he'd broken through and then and only then would she be able to have him back in her life as the father of her child.

Chloe had been an only child. The first few years of her life had been happy, she'd had parents who loved her dearly and she was content and secure in that love. When she was five years old a tragic accident had taken them from her and she'd been taken into care. She was lost and alone for most of her childhood; she became withdrawn and despite being placed with a number of families none of them had felt able to keep her for longer than a couple of months. She'd been a difficult child who'd grown into a difficult adult. She'd had relationships with men, had even been married for a time when she left college. But no-one had been able to penetrate the emotional barriers she'd built. Morris had tried but had eventually given up. Chase had probably come the closest and she still considered him to be a good friend, her only real friend. But Jack, well Jack had been the only one to succeed in doing what all the others had tried to do. He had inadvertently got her to let down her defences and let him in.

Chloe sighed as she was finishing up her work, she looked at the clock on the wall and was surprised to find it was after nine and beginning to get dark. She was also surprised to find her stomach growling; she shouldn't be surprised though as she hadn't eaten since lunch. Chiding herself for her carelessness she got her things together and headed back to the small apartment she was renting. Chloe had become better at eating more regularly in the past few weeks; initially when she'd left LA she had hardly eaten at all. It was only during a routine check up when the doctor told her she was putting both herself and her baby at risk that she was shocked into action. She was still pretty thin now but at least she was healthy.

The walk back to her apartment was relatively short but included taking a couple of back streets through a rough neighbourhood. Chloe didn't mind during daylight but was now wishing she had taken a cab. On that thought she turned the corner into a road that was little more than a wide alley with a couple of street lights in the middle section but very little light either end. Just as she started walking along she heard a noise behind her and looked around; she saw nothing so put it down to the soft breeze rattling an empty beer can or something. She continued to walk, picking up her pace slightly.

She breathed a sigh of relief just as she was about to reach the well lit section of the road but her relief was short lived as suddenly strong arms grabbed her and threw her against the wall. Chloe gasped in shock as she felt the cool blade of a knife against the side of her face, scratching slightly to break the skin but not enough to cause any real damage – yet.

"Hello pretty lady" a cold, harsh voice said. "You wanna play?" he asked running a hand along the curve of her hip.

"Let me think about that a minute" Chloe said bluntly. Then pausing briefly to consider her options said "Uh…no, I don't think so thanks."

Chloe took advantage of his surprise at her response; her attacker was used to fearful compliance from most women. Despite being eight months pregnant she swiftly brought her leg up so her knee made sharp contact with his crotch whilst at the same time grabbing his wrist and twisting it so he dropped the knife. He fell to the ground with a grunt of pain and Chloe took the opportunity to get away. What she'd forgotten though was that she wasn't as quick on her feet as she usually was and only got a third of the way down the road before she felt a heavy arm grab her around the neck whilst the other hand was used to pull her head back by her hair.

As quickly as it had happened she was released suddenly so that she fell on her knees to the ground as the man yelled in pain like a wounded animal. She turned quickly to see him being hauled up by his throat in a strangle hold then knocked unconscious with a single blow to his face.

Chloe stayed where she was on the ground, staring in surprised disbelief at her rescuer. Even as he hauled her to her feet she couldn't believe it was him, couldn't believe that he'd found her.

"Are you ok?" Jack asked harshly, the anger clear in both his voice and his expression.

"I'm fine" she said quickly.

"C'mon then, let's get out of here" he said grabbing hold of her arm and almost dragging her along with him.

Chloe was still in shock that he was here and just went with him; not that he would have given her any choice at that point. They reached the end of the road where a silver SUV stood. Jack opened the passenger door and stood indicating that she should get in. Chloe got in but was unable to stay silent any longer.

"Jack, my apartment is just over there. Where are we going?" she asked.

Jack was silent as he put the car into drive. Chloe didn't know what to say but she hated being out of control like this. She could tell Jack was really angry and a great deal of that anger was directed at her.

"Jack, answer me. Please….I am grateful that you helped me out but you can't just take me wherever you want, you know. I don't want to go with you."

The car came to a screeching halt and Chloe felt her seatbelt lock tight at the sudden stop. She looked at Jack questioningly. He turned to her then and she realised it was taking all the strength he could muster to hang onto his anger. Chloe shrank back in her seat at the look he gave her.

"Right now Chloe, you don't have a choice" he said through gritted teeth "you are coming with me and if you think that I'm going to let you out of my sight then you're wrong."

"Jack you can't do this" Chloe said, her voice shaking.

"Watch me" he said, his lips curving in a short, humourless smile.

They drove for a couple of hours, the silence interrupted only by the thoughts occupying Chloe's mind. How did he find her? What's going to happen now? She knew Jack when he was angry, had seen it so many times over the years; but that anger had never been directed at her. Oh, maybe in the distant past he'd been angry at her in short bursts, but not for a long time and never like this. Chloe felt a wave of her own anger flush over her; it was his own fault after all. If he hadn't deceived her then she wouldn't have ran away like that.

They came to a stop by a motel and Jack got out, walking around to her side of the car to help her down. He then walked round the back and pulled her suitcase out. Chloe was surprised, he'd obviously broken into her apartment at some point and packed all her things. She felt a flourish of irritation at his high handedness but was still aware of his anger bubbling under the surface so chose not to challenge it.

The room was sparsely furnished with only one bed. Chloe went into the bathroom while Jack carried her suitcase into the room. Chloe took the opportunity of a few minutes alone to try and figure out how she was going to get out of this situation, or at least try and understand it a bit more.

When she walked into the room Jack was on the phone but ended the call quickly when he saw her. She wondered who he'd been talking to but knew better than to ask.

"Come over here" Jack said. Chloe walked over to him and he guided her down to the edge of the bed where he knelt down in front of her. Chloe flinched a little as he put his hand up to the side of her face where the scratch from the knife was. He traced the mark with his finger and Chloe's heart sped up at his touch. She stared into his eyes and saw the anger still there but also she saw the deep concern for her.

"You ok?" he asked gently.

"Yes, thank you for helping me."

Jack stood up and backed away from her. "Chloe what the hell were you doing walking around that kind of neighbourhood alone at night? Anything could have happened to you."

Chloe sat feeling uncomfortable; she knew she'd been stupid. "I didn't realise it was so late when I started out and normally I can look after myself; in fact…" she said pointing to her protruding belly "if I hadn't been slowed down by this then I would've got away easily".

Jack smiled at that; he didn't doubt it but was still concerned for her. He noticed she looked thinner than normal and she looked tired. He ran his hands through his hair and was now pacing the room.

Chloe broke the silence "so what now? I take it you're not going to let me back to my apartment?"

Jack stopped pacing and Chloe noticed that anger was again the dominant emotion in his expression. "Chloe, it has taken me three months to find you so no, I don't think I'm going to let you just walk away again."

Chloe scowled "but what about what I want, doesn't that count for anything?"

"At this point, not really. Why don't you start with telling me why you left so suddenly without a word?"

Not being one to mince her words normally and now feeling angry herself she just blurted out "because you lied to me Jack. You told me you loved me but that was a lie, you still love Audrey and I told you I didn't want you on just any terms." She paused to take a breath and looked up at him to see the shock in his eyes.

"What the hell gives you the idea I'm still in love with Audrey. What happened to make you think that?" he bit out angrily.

Chloe hesitated for a minute but eventually said "because I saw you together. I heard her telling you she was in love with you and then I saw you kissing."

Jack looked as though he'd been smacked in the face; the shock at what she'd just said stunning him into silence. He just stared at her, the colour draining from his face.

Eventually he took a deep breath and said "So you heard Audrey telling me she loved me and then you saw us kissing. Did you see who started the kiss Chloe?"

Chloe stood up then and moved to the other side of the room, staring out of the window. "Well, she did but…but, you didn't stop her"

"And how long did you stand there for Chloe?" he asked, the anger returning to his voice now the shock was dispersing. Chloe shifted uncomfortably, not really sure what to say. It was suddenly dawning on her that she may have made a terrible mistake.

"Look at me Chloe" Jack bit back on the tide of anger threatening to overwhelm him. Chloe turned slowly but couldn't meet his eyes.

"You didn't stand there for long did you Chloe? Because if you did you would have seen me pushing her away, would have heard me telling her that I loved you, that I would love you with or without the baby".

Chloe did look at him then, the expression on his face one of disbelief at her actions and she realised that he was telling her the truth. Tears sprang to her eyes for the first time since she'd left him and she struggled to find the words to make things right.

"Oh god Jack, I'm sorry…I…I…" she couldn't go on. All she saw was the look of betrayal in his eyes, the look of defeat that told her she had damaged the one bond that had held them together through their friendship and the foray into becoming lovers.

"You didn't think to discuss it with me before you ran did you? You didn't wait to hear my side of the story? So much for trust Chloe." Jack turned from her then and walked out of the door saying "go to bed Chloe, I need some air" he slammed the door shut behind him. To Chloe the sound of the slamming door was akin to him shutting her out of his heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Chloe went to bed but didn't sleep, she had cried until she had no more tears left. She'd ruined everything. Jack was right, she had broken the trust they shared. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she thought to herself. Why did she let her insecurities ruin what they'd had. She didn't think he'd ever forgive her and she couldn't blame him. She knew that her trusting him had been a big deal for him; he'd spent so long working against the tide with little support that when he realised he had her support their friendship had developed. Now she didn't even have that friendship.

Chloe heard him come in a couple of hours later but she just stayed on the bed, with her knees curled up as much as possible considering how big her belly now was. She heard him moving around in the bathroom then felt the bed dip as he got in beside her. The bed was plenty big enough for the two of them to sleep comfortably without touching and that's what they did – slept without touching; but never comfortably.

Chloe had drifted off to sleep just as the sun was rising; before she knew it Jack was gently shaking her awake. "Chloe, wake up. We need to hit the road soon."

She opened her eyes quickly then regretted it, the bright sunlight filtering through the cracks in the blinds causing her to blink repeatedly. She got up and went into the bathroom without looking at him.

Chloe stood under the warm spray of the shower wondering what she had to do to make things right. She knew that if they were to salvage what was left of their burgeoning relationship she had a lot of work to do. The problem was it was the kind of work she was no good at; relationships had never been her strong suit; communicating without a computer was virtually impossible for her. She turned off the faucet, stepping out of the shower and examining her reflection in the mirror. She traced the contours of her belly, wondering what sort of person her baby would grow into, whether it would be more like her or more like him.

When she stepped back into the room Jack was nowhere to be seen, noticing the absence of their bags she assumed he was loading everything into the car. Chloe took the opportunity to sit and gather her thoughts for a moment; she reached down and lifted his jacket off the bed. She lifted it up to her face and breathed in the scent of him. Uh-oh, bad idea O'Brian, she thought to herself as tears stung her eyes. She felt overwhelmed by the comfort that scent brought to her; comfort that she had never thought she'd find but now that she had, it was slipping away from her.

Chloe caught a slight movement in the now open doorway, dropping the jacket and her gaze quickly, wiping the stray tear that was now rolling down her cheek. "Sorry, I was just, well…I..I…." She groaned inwardly to herself, now flushing scarlet. She kept her gaze averted so missed the slight curve of his lips.

"Let's get some breakfast before we go" he said, standing to one side and holding the door for her.

Chloe got up, automatically picking up his jacket as she went. When she got to the door she handed it to him still refusing to look at him, at least until her colour subsided. "Here, this is yours" she said, walking out the door.

The journey back to LA was relatively smooth but intensely uncomfortable for Chloe. She spent most of the time trying to figure out a way to break down the wall of silence between them. Eventually she gave up, leant her head back and closed her eyes, deciding that feigning sleep was easier than the banality of superficial conversation. Eventually, exhaustion overtook and she did fall asleep.

Chloe woke only when the car came to a halt outside of Jack's house. She was a little disorientated initially but as he opened the passenger door to help her out she came to with a jolt.

"Jack, why are we here? Why aren't you taking me back to my apartment?" she asked.

"Because I want to keep you close Chloe" he replied, looking her square in the eyes and challenging her to fight him on this.

Chloe bit back an urge to object. Her automatic response was to argue with him; she hated feeling out of control, hated anyone making decisions for her. But, at the same time she was able to acknowledge she owed him this, that maybe her cooperation was the beginning of her efforts to make it up to him.

Jack took their bags upstairs while Chloe set up her laptop in the living room; knowing at least then she would have a distraction if things got too uncomfortable. By the time Jack came downstairs she was engrossed. Jack left her to it while he went into the kitchen to prepare a meal for them.

After dinner Chloe went back to her laptop earnestly wishing she didn't feel the need to escape from him but struggling to find a way to talk to him. After a couple of hours Jack caught Chloe stifling a yawn. "Come on, let's get you to bed" he said gently.

She looked up at the sound of his voice and realised it was now dark outside. She smiled at him "actually, I'd quite like to take a bath first; I'm kind of aching a little".

Soon after, she was lying back letting the warmth of the bath soothe away the tension that clung to her. She sank into its relaxing depths, allowing the flow of water to wash over her. She attempted to clear her mind, not an easy task for a mind like hers; but nonetheless she tried. She finally came to at the gentle knock on the door and Jack's voice calling through the door, checking she was ok. Telling him she was fine, she realised she'd been laying there for nearly an hour. On that note, she pulled herself up and stepped out of the bath.

Dizziness threatened to overwhelm her as she reached for a towel, the movement causing a wave of nausea to engulf her. Before she knew it she was sliding down the side of the bath, landing in a crumpled heap on the floor. She tried to stand up but her legs wouldn't take her weight. She pulled the towel around her body as best she could, then decided she had no choice but to call Jack for help.

Within seconds he was at her side, concern flashing across his face. "What happened?" he asked urgently.

"I just felt dizzy, just think I got out of the bath too quickly. I'm ok though, just having a problem with standing up."

Jack bent down and ignoring the towel that was only partially covering her, lifted her up and carried her to the bedroom. Chloe hid her flaming cheeks in the crook of his neck; feeling slightly ridiculous at her embarrassment seeing as he was the one who had got her into her current predicament. He gently laid her onto the bed then went back into the bathroom, returning with a second towel.

"Chloe, that one's soaked. Let me help you."

Deciding she had little choice in the matter she let him remove the sodden towel, helping her to sit on the edge of the bed as he gently dried her with the fresh towel. The intimacy of his touch was too much for Chloe though and she felt an overwhelming rush of love accompanied by a deep sadness at what had become of their relationship. Tears spilled unseen down her cheeks as Jack was bent down drying her toes; he was only alerted to her distress by the strangled sob that escaped her lips.

He stood up, draped the towel around her body before sitting next to her on the bed and dragging her across and into his lap. He stroked her hair and rocked her gently as she let the tears fall. Eventually as her sobs subsided she looked at his face and saw her own pain mirrored in his eyes.

"Jack I'm sorry..I…I really mean it. I don't know what I need to do to make this better but just tell me and I'll do it. I've missed you so much and I love you. I know I haven't said that before but it's only because I don't say those words very easily. But I do, I love you so very much and I want to make this better."

Jack sighed and leant his forehead against hers. "Chloe, we'll work this out. It's going to take some time but we'll work it out." He looked at her then and she saw the pain still in his eyes but with a light that hadn't been there yesterday. The anger was gone and Chloe felt hope for the first time in months.

Chloe reached up and touched the side of his face then touched her lips to his. Unresponsive at first, Jack just let her trace her lips against his. Within seconds though he was deepening the kiss and Chloe felt the heat envelop her as he laid her back against the bed. The kiss lasted a few minutes but was over all too quickly.

Jack sat up with a groan, taking her with him. "C'mon, we need to go get you ready for bed." He touched his hand to her face, tracing the dark circles that had been under her eyes for the past few months, a sign of the stress that she'd been under. He smiled at her then, the soft gentle smile he had used so many times before. He nudged her gently "c'mon, get dressed."

Chloe got ready for bed, aware that Jack was watching her but not minding. When she was ready she turned to him and bluntly asked him where she was sleeping.

"Where do you want to sleep?" Jack asked, not taking his eyes off her.

"With you" she replied honestly, her gaze not wavering from his.

He smiled then, moving off the bed to make room for her before stripping off and settling down beside her. He pulled her into his chest, stroking her hair as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep; feeling at peace with the world.


	9. Chapter 9

When Chloe woke Jack was no longer beside her, she felt a moment of panic but then realised from the sound of running water he was in the shower. She got up and moved towards the open door just as he was stepping out of the shower and reaching for a towel. Chloe stood looking at him as he wrapped the towel around his hips, her eyes taking in everything about him as though it was the first time she'd seen him naked. She stared at the scars on his back wishing she had the courage to move forward and touch him.

"You can come in if you want to". The sound of his voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she realised that he could see her reflection in the bathroom mirror.

"Wh…what?" she asked, colouring slightly.

He turned to her, a small smile playing on his lips. Chloe felt a smile tug at her own lips in response. Just then he walked towards her, stopping inches from where she stood in the doorway. He reached up and placed his hands either side of her face, his thumbs gently stroking the pulse points at the side of her neck. Chloe put her hands on his chest, tracing his healed wounds. She stared into his eyes and saw the flicker of longing at her touch.

Jack leant in and touched his lips to hers; gentle at first, almost teasing. Chloe responded to his touch, leaning in against him to close the too distant gap between their bodies. Feeling her pressed flush against him Jack deepened the kiss and they both felt the heat take over. Jack lifted her into his arms and carried her back into the bedroom.

They were woken a couple of hours later by the sound of Jack's phone ringing. Chloe heard him groan once he'd answered it, telling whoever was on the other end that he was on his way. When he hung up the phone and lay back on the bed Chloe snuggled into him.

"Sorry baby, I've got to go into CTU" he said, gently stroking her hair. "That was Bill; he wants me to interrogate a suspect".

Chloe smiled at him as he leant down and kissed her firmly but briefly on the mouth. She watched him get dressed and stretched almost catlike in an effort to ease her aching muscles. She heard him groan and, catching his eye she saw a pained expression on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He knelt on the bed and leant in so his face was inches from hers, his hand gently stroking her belly. "I just want to get back in there with you Chloe" he said, regret marring his features.

Chloe laughed and reached up to pull his head down towards hers, kissing him with a promise of what would be waiting for him when he returned. "I'm not going anywhere" she said. Both of them knew the double meaning to her words; both of them knew that she wouldn't run again, no matter what happened. "I love you Jack".

"I love you too baby, so much. I should be back in a couple of hours but I'll call you if I'm gonna be any later."

When Chloe was alone she reflected on how her life had yet again changed so quickly. If anyone had told her a year ago that she would be here, in Jack's bed, expecting his baby she would have told them they were mad. She wasn't sure when she'd first realised she loved him but it was sometime during his exile where she was the only one who had known where he was.

Before then she knew she had feelings for him but she put it down to some weird hero worship thing; that together with the fact that he was the one person who treated her as if she was normal. She felt normal when she was with him; not some socially inept computer geek that almost everyone else made fun at. She smiled as she recalled the time she first realised Jack was able to cope with her bluntness in a way that no-one other than Chase had been able to. In fact he seemed to appreciate it; probably because in his world there was never any time for social niceties.

He'd been shocked when he'd first met her. Partly due to her honesty, but largely due to the fact she'd come to the interview with information on CTU protocols that only someone from inside with a level 6 clearance should have. She told him she'd hacked in to CTU's systems that morning from her laptop at home. She then told him that was why he should give her to job; he really didn't want her working on the outside with the information she had and the ability to hack into what was supposed to be the most secure system in the world. He'd hired her on the spot and she'd stayed for 18 hours immediately following the interview to ensure their systems were impenetrable.

She was dragged out of her thoughts by the phone, she looked at the time and, realising that he'd been gone for just over 3 hours she assumed it would be him calling to tell her that he'd been delayed.

But it wasn't Jack, it was Bill. Chloe felt her heart stop at the sound of his voice, she knew straight away that something was wrong. Bill told her that Jack had been called out into the field unexpectedly to follow up on a lead from the suspect he'd been interrogating. He'd led a team on a mission to secure evidence that would lead to the capture of the head of a notorious terrorist cell. A fire fight had broken out and Jack had surrendered to the terrorists because they'd threatened the life of a little girl and her mother who lived in the building.

"We don't know where he is Chloe, but I promise you we are doing everything we can to find him."

Chloe was in shock, she just sat staring at the wall not knowing what to do.

"Chloe,…? Chloe, are you ok?" Bill asked in concern.

How could this happen? She thought to herself. Only a few hours ago they had been happy, had started to sort out some of their problems and she had finally believed that she, Chloe O'Brian might, for the first time in her life get something worth hanging onto. And now that future was threatened by a bunch of terrorists who were fighting some kind of cause that they were never going to win; at least not in the way they were trying to go about it.

Chloe snapped herself out of the trend her thoughts were going in. "Bill I'm coming in, I should be there in about twenty minutes".

"I thought you might say that. I've sent a car for you; it should be with you any minute."

The short journey was the longest of Chloe's life. She kept trying to reassure herself that he would be ok, it wasn't as if this was the first time Jack had been missing. In the time that she'd known him he'd been missing more times than she could remember and she'd always been able to find him. She vowed to herself that she would find him again, that she would do everything in her power to get him back. Even if she had to go out into the field herself, eight months pregnant she would do it. She couldn't lose him, she wouldn't lose him.

Chloe fought down the nagging doubt that sat in the recesses of her mind. She wouldn't give into it. She had to believe that he was out there somewhere, alive; maybe even hurt but she had to believe he would be ok.

By the time she arrived at CTU she was on edge with no time for even the smallest of niceties. The agent who had picked her up tried to stop her jumping out of the car as soon as it pulled up outside the building, had tried to stop her running in her condition. But it was all to no avail, no-one could have stopped her at that moment.

She rushed through security, thankful that the guard on duty knew who she was and therefore didn't insist on the usual security checks. When she arrived on the main floor she stopped in her tracks. There were people standing around staring at the various video screens dotted around; nothing unusual in that, but there was something missing. It took her a moment to figure out what it was and then it hit her like a blade penetrating through her very being.

Yes, people were standing around staring at video screens; and that was it, that was all they were doing. No-one seemed to actually be working; they were all just standing there staring.

"What the hell are you all doing? Don't just stand there" she shouted, the pitch of her voice higher and louder than even she thought possible. She walked over to where Bill was standing with people all around him, the people moved but Bill did not. He just stared at her, a look of unimaginable horror etched across his face, tears shining in his eyes. He shook his head in disbelief then reached out and took her by the shoulders, gently turning her away from the screen. She thought she heard someone saying "turn it off for god's sake, don't let her see it."

She looked at Bill, trying to formulate a question in her mind "Bill, what's this all about? What are you doing to find him?"

Bill shook his head again, attempting to steer her away from the crowd. Chloe refused to move.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. But we've just watched a video feed of Jack being taken from the building by the terrorists. Chloe, I'm sorry but they shot him in front of us. Jack's dead."


	10. Chapter 10

Chloe stood looking at Bill, chewing her lip whilst trying to figure out how to respond. What do you do when you've just been told the man you love, the father of your unborn child is dead? Oh yes, that was it – you cry, scream, say that it isn't true. What did she do? She smiled a half smile and told him he was mistaken.

Bill looked shocked at Chloe's reaction. He'd known she wouldn't respond in any way he would have expected but this was ridiculous. "Chloe, believe me I wish it wasn't true but I saw it with my own eyes. He's dead; they shot him in the head at point blank range. There is no way he would have survived it."

Chloe rolled her eyes, took a deep breath and awkwardly patted Bill on the arm in an attempt to comfort him. "Bill, I know what you saw and you're right that he was shot in the head at point blank range and that he's dead. The part you got wrong is that it wasn't Jack. Oh, I know I only caught a bit of the video but I'm telling you it wasn't Jack."

Bill frowned in confusion; she could only have seen the screen for a split second so how could she be sure? He put her insistence down to shock and denial. "Chloe….? I.."

"Bill, it's ok. Let me have a look at the tape properly so I can try and figure out what they're doing. We need to get onto this quickly so we can find him."

"Chloe, I don't think that's a good idea. You don't want to see that tape."

Chloe frowned, getting exasperated now. "Bill, whether I want to see it is irrelevant, I have to see it if we're going to find him."

"Chloe, we are not going to find him. Jack's dead". Bill hated talking so bluntly to her, but he had to make her understand.

Chloe was getting really irritated now "Bill, don't worry about it, just let me see the tape and I'll show you what I'm talking about."

Bill, realising he was not going to put her off any longer finally agreed "alright, if you're sure."

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't sure" she said, rolling her eyes.

Bill set Chloe up at a station, isolating a screen so she could view it with a certain degree of privacy. Although he believed it was a mistake letting her see it, at least she couldn't ignore the evidence before her eyes; once she saw it she would have to deal with it. Bill stood back a little from where Chloe was sitting. He watched her closely as she stared intently at the screen.

Chloe saw them dragging him out of the building, the first thing she recognised was the clothes Jack had put on that morning, the second thing she noticed was the tattoo on his right forearm. For a split second she doubted her earlier assertion to Bill that this wasn't Jack; she felt a chill run down her spine. Bill noticed her pale slightly but Chloe kept on watching.

They pushed him to his knees and she caught a glimpse of his face, bloodied and bruised. She could see how people would think this was Jack, they were the same build and height, similar colouring but Chloe knew in her heart they were wrong. She jumped as the shot rang out; momentarily imagining that it was Jack who had just been executed. As the overwhelming sense of dread washed over her, she forced herself not to think about it.

She turned to Bill who was looking at her pityingly "Bill, it's not him. I can't explain how I know that but I do. I know you probably think I'm in shock and don't want to accept it but it's not that."

"Chloe, please don't do this to yourself. You need to go home; you need to think of the baby."

Chloe felt anger bubbling up inside her "Bill! What do you think I'm doing? I am thinking about the baby, I'm thinking about how it needs its father. I will not give up on him. He's alive and he needs our help."

Bill sighed, closing his eyes for a second, then against his better judgement found himself saying "ok Chloe, what do you want to do?".

Chloe felt relief wash over her, she knew he was just trying to pacify her but at least he was giving her a shot at finding Jack and for that she was grateful. She told Bill she needed to view the satellite images from immediately after the shooting; if the dead man wasn't Jack then she needed to look at any images of the terrorists as they were leaving the scene so she could see if Jack was with them.

"Curtis is looking at the images now, why don't you join him?" Bill said, obviously frustrated and concerned that she wasn't even considering the possibility that Jack was dead. Chloe knew as soon as she started thinking Jack might be dead, she'd fall apart; that was why she needed to do this.

When Curtis saw Chloe approaching him her turned to her and was about to offer some words of comfort but Chloe stopped him. "It's ok Curtis, he's not dead; don't ask me to explain how I know that because I can't tell you, I just do."

Curtis was silenced by the look she gave him. He just stood back while Chloe typed on the keyboard, manipulating the images on the screen. She saw the shooter walking away from the body then flipped to another screen that showed the group of men walking towards an SUV. She zoomed in on the image, closely examining the group for signs that Jack was among them. There were seven men, the same number that had arrived at the location less than an hour before. Two were at the front of the group, two behind and three in the middle.

Chloe enlarged the image of the three men in the middle, having noticed that they were walking much closer to each other than the other men. The enhanced image revealed that the man on the left was flanking the middle man and holding something to his lower back. She knew that the man in the middle of the group was Jack.

Curtis noticed the small smile on Chloe's face and peered closer to the screen as she enlarged the image further. "It's him Curtis, I know it's him".

Curtis looked doubtful but quickly gasped when he saw the gun held to the man's back. The man certainly could be Jack, the same height and build but it was difficult to see any other identifiable features from the back as he was wearing a baseball cap.

Bill hurried towards them "Curtis, I need you to set up a team, we have the location of the terrorists."

"Ok Bill, but you need to see this. It looks like one of the men is being held against his will. Chloe thinks that it's Jack."

Bill looked suspiciously at the screen, "ok Curtis, even if this is Jack which I doubt; the mission is the same. The priority is to capture the terrorists."

Chloe felt her legs give way a little so sat heavily in the nearest chair. She attempted to regulate her breathing, not wanting to lose control. She knew the man was Jack but was terrified something might happen to him during the take down. She shifted her thoughts quickly, turning to Bill and requesting that she run comms during the mission.

Bill told her she could stay but that he didn't want her working directly on the mission as she was emotionally involved. Chloe glared at him, but knew he was making the right decision for the good of the mission; at least she would be here and Bill gave her an ear piece so she could listen in.

It took 30 minutes for Curtis and his team to get to the location and apprehend the terrorists. There was a brief fire fight and she heard that two of the terrorists had been killed, the other five had been captured, three of them injured.

Chloe held her breath, her eyes wide and unblinking as she waited for the news she was desperate to hear. Was Jack with them? Was he ok?

Within seconds that to Chloe seemed like hours, Curtis' voice came through her ear piece. "Chloe, are you there?"

Chloe nodded, even though she knew Curtis couldn't see her; but she couldn't find her voice. Bill quickly stepped in "go ahead Curtis, Chloe can hear you."

"He's here, Chloe. Jack's here and he's fine, you were right. Hold on a second and I'll let you speak to him."

But Chloe couldn't speak, her throat flooded with emotion, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. She shook her head blindly, mouthing the words her voice refused to speak "I can't".

Again Bill stepped in "Curtis, Chloe is feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment. Tell Jack she's fine, that she's waiting for him." Bill walked towards Chloe but she put her hand up to tell him to back off. She looked around wildly, trying to find a place to hide away from prying eyes. Ignoring Bill's offer that she sit in his office, she walked away and found the nearest supply closet. She managed to close the door before her legs gave way completely; she fell to the floor and curled herself into a protective ball as the sobs wracked her body.

Chloe had been there on the floor of the closet for over half an hour when she felt herself being pulled up and dragged into a solid chest, strong arms wrapping around her.

She held on tight as he pulled her into his lap and gently rocked her "shush baby, its ok. I'm here, its ok." Chloe put her arms tightly round his neck and buried her face in his shoulder, taking a long steadying breath before she could look at him.

She slowly lifted her head and gasped as she saw the cut to his head, the bruises on the side of his face. She caught his gaze as she touched his wounds gently, looking deeply into his eyes as though hoping to find the answers to a thousand unvoiced questions.

She sat back, her hands running up and down his body, wanting to reassure herself that it was him and he was in one piece. Jack sat silently, his gaze unwavering as they held each others eyes while Chloe continued her examination of his body. Finally, satisfied that he was ok other than minor cuts and bruises she placed her hands either side of his face and brought his mouth down to hers.


	11. Chapter 11

Jack sat at his desk thinking about Chloe. He knew she was finding the later stages of the pregnancy difficult. She had been distant for the past three weeks and despite his best efforts he had found it hard getting through to her. The first couple of days after he'd been taken hostage by the terrorists she had refused to let him out of her sight. He smiled to himself as he recalled how she hadn't even let him shower without her. She had followed him everywhere; not that he minded, actually he quite liked it.

Suddenly that had changed though. He had gone back to work on the third day and when he returned home she was quiet and reserved. He had tried to be there for her, had tried to talk to her but she just snapped at him or clammed up. He understood that she was feeling vulnerable and thought that if he gave her some space and kept telling her how he felt about her she would come around.

He had tried calling her but she hadn't even answered her cell. He sat quietly trying to figure out what to do. This wasn't how it was supposed to be, they were supposed to be happy anticipating the birth of their first child together. He sighed heavily as Bill called down to him, reminding him that they had a meeting with division in a few minutes. Shaking himself out of his thoughts Jack returned to focusing on work, thinking he would figure out what to do about Chloe later.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chloe walked slowly through the park, knowing that she shouldn't really be there. She should be at home resting, waiting for her waters to break or something. But she couldn't just sit there.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was supposed to be looking forward to the birth of her baby, looking forward to her life with Jack and their family. But she couldn't look forward to it, it just didn't feel right. She wasn't someone who this was supposed to happen to. She didn't think she could be a mother, she didn't even think she could be a wife.

She hadn't really given much thought to what this would be like other than the whole happy ever after thing. She loved Jack and she loved their baby, even though she couldn't really understand how she could love someone she hadn't met yet. But, the problem was that she hated how that love made her feel.

She was used to only having to think about herself. Not that she was selfish, but she struggled with the whole concept of family, struggled with relying on other people, of depending on them for part of her happiness. She had never done that, had never had to. Her own childhood had been spent finding solace in books. She hadn't played with other children, hadn't been on family trips or holidays and she had been absolutely certain she hadn't been loved.

And there lies the problem she thought to herself. She just didn't know how to do this. She so wanted to make it work, wanted to be happy but the problem was she couldn't believe that she deserved it. Oh, she knew that Jack loved her, that he would do anything for her but she didn't know how to deal with it. It was all happening so quickly. Only months before she had been single with no expectations placed on her other than those relating to work. Even then, she didn't worry about the emotional connections with people. She just got on with her job as best she could. That was until she fell in love; that was when things had changed for her.

At first she thought that finally she could have what others' seem to take for granted. She thought that her love combined with his would be strong enough. But that had all changed after he had been taken by the terrorists. When he had returned she'd fallen apart and couldn't stand to be away from him for a single second. Eventually though, she had rebuilt the wall that he'd so successfully penetrated. It was the only way she could hold onto her sanity; the only way she could deal with it. She couldn't bear to think of him out in the field without her being there to watch over him, but how could she do that when she had a baby to look after? She couldn't do both and she now felt she had to choose the baby over him – but she couldn't bear it; so she'd cut herself off from him.

She sat on the bench and allowed the tears to flow freely down her cheeks. What was it about her that seemed to be more at home around the emptiness of solitude rather than the warmth of others? She didn't want this. She ached for missing the closeness of him. He was so close yet still just a little way out of her reach.

Chloe was so wrapped in her thoughts that she didn't see the woman silently looking at her. Kim Bauer looked at Chloe not really knowing what to do; she thought about approaching her but was concerned that Chloe would be embarrassed. She and Kim had never really gotten on and despite her father suggesting that she get to know Chloe better now, Kim had been reluctant. But, she knew her father loved Chloe so had decided to try and make the whole family thing work. The only problem was she hadn't planned to do it until the baby was born. She struggled with her own wish to just walk away, to ignore what was happening. Kim could see that Chloe was upset and she felt a rush of concern for her, not to mention concern for her father. She wanted him to be happy and could see the last time she saw him that Chloe did make him happy. She knew though that things had been difficult for them lately and she wanted to help. She loved her dad and had decided if Chloe was the one he wanted she would live with it. Eventually she decided to leave Chloe to her solitude, believing she wouldn't appreciate Kim interfering; but not before she made a phone call.

Chloe continued to sit, wrapped up in her thoughts when she saw a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned slightly and was surprised to see Jack sitting next to her on the bench.

"Hey" he said simply, reaching over to clasp her hand in his. He turned her hand over so he was tracing small, slow circles across her palm. Chloe jumped a little at his touch, only he could create a jolt of electricity through her with one simple stroke of his fingers.

She turned away from him, staring out across the pond in front of her, she didn't remove her hand though and that was what gave him hope. He relaxed a little, thinking that even if they just sat like this for a while at least they were together and at least they would be closer than they had been for the last few weeks.

Several minutes later Chloe spoke for the first time. "I don't know if I can do this Jack."

He felt his jaw tense at her words but was determined to listen to her, to try and work through this. "Do what Chloe?"

She turned to him then, looking him square in the eye, her own eyes looking slightly red and puffy from crying. His heart jolted at the pain he saw in them.

"This" she said, pointing to her protruding belly. "All of it. I wasn't build for this; it's not in my make up to be the devoted wife and mother. I'm no good at it and that hurts me because I so want to be good at it." She drew a shaky breath and turned away from him.

He wouldn't let her look away though. He knew if she looked away she wouldn't see what she meant to him. He moved closer and lifted her chin gently, turning her face back towards him so that her eyes were mere inches from his. But he didn't say anything, he just kissed her.

His lips were gentle but insistent as he parted her own, his tongue dancing with hers in an age old ritual that produced an instant reaction. He always knew that if words weren't enough to convey how he felt, his touch and the heat that it brought would. When he pulled back he saw her cheeks had more colour and eyes were brighter.

"Chloe, no-one knows if they're going to be a good parent. It's hard, but you have so much capacity for love that I know you will be fine. As long as you love our baby you will do whatever it takes to make sure it's happy; that's all any of us can do."

Chloe pulled away from him then; she knew that what he was saying was true and she knew that although she had little experience herself of creating a happy childhood, with him by her side they would be fine. That wasn't the real problem.

She sighed and looked across the park, wondering when it had begun to get dark. She felt more tears spill down her face, the burden of life lying heavy.

"Chloe?"

She couldn't look at him.

"Chloe, tell me what else is wrong. Please baby, just tell me". Chloe could detect the note of uncertainty in his voice and she hated that she had put it there. He deserved to be happy and she knew that throughout the whole of her pregnancy there had been so much angst for both of them and here she was creating more.

She looked at him, not bothering to hide her tears or cover up the sob that escaped from her lips.

"I think I love you too much Jack. I didn't realise until we got you back the last time, but as soon as I knew you were safe I realised that if we hadn't found you I would have wanted to curl up right there and give up on everything. I don't even know if our baby would have been enough to keep me here and that terrifies me. It terrifies me to think that I might lose you, for me and the baby."

Jack pulled her towards him, almost dragging her into his lap as she continued to cry, her sobs almost breaking his heart. He decided there and then that he would do anything to make her happy, would sacrifice everything except for her.

When her sobs had subsided he lifted her chin so she was looking at him.

"Chloe, I'll stop now. You are more important to me than my work. I know I've been driven by it but its not important compared with you."

Chloe looked at him with a shocked expression. "No Jack".

Jack felt frustrated at what was rapidly becoming a no win situation "What do you want Chloe?" he asked, a low growl portraying his frustration.

"I want you. And I want our baby, but I don't know if I can have you both, if I can keep you both safe, and that scares me so much Jack. I don't want you to give up your job, its part of what I love about you and you won't be happy working a desk job; not yet anyway. I can't ask you to give that up; I won't let you give that up."

Jack sighed as he held her to him. "Well Chloe, I won't give you up. We will work this out; we have to work this out. I can't be without you, not now. Not after it took so long for you to be mine."

Chloe looked at his face, at the softness she saw there. His job made him do things that no man should have to do yet his face was the sweetest, kindest face she had ever seen. She loved this man so much, her heart felt ready to burst out of her chest every time she saw the vulnerability that few people were allowed to see.

Chloe leant up and kissed him gently. It hit her then, the realisation that she'd already had more in the last few months than she ever thought possible. She wouldn't ask him to give up his work, but actually she didn't need to. She knew they'd work out a way for her to care for their baby and still do her job when she needed to. And there were never any guarantees that she could save him, even now before the baby is born. She realised that whatever happened to him, nothing could take away the fact that she had more now than she'd ever dreamed of having.

She loved him. He loved her. And they had their family on the way. Whatever happened in the future, she was happy now and she knew that wasn't going to change any time soon.

She arched into him as he started kissing her back. It was still a wonder to her that despite her heavy pregnancy, his touch had the impact of lighting an internal fire for her. She wanted him now as much as she ever had.

As they parted, Chloe smiled at him "you're right Jack. We will work it out. I love you."

He sighed heavily, gently stroking her hair, holding her head so she looked him straight in the eye, saw the sincerity and the love in his expression. "I love you too baby, so much it hurts sometimes. But whatever happens I will always be with you, I promise. Now, let's go home"

They got up slowly, Jack helping her to stand. He stopped at the sudden change of expression on her face. It was a look of shock, mixed with wonderment.

"Chloe?" he asked in concern. "What's wrong?"

She smiled brilliantly at him. "Nothing's wrong Jack, our baby is coming, that's all".

She laughed at the range of emotions crossing his face; he blinked rapidly and stood in stunned silence. Then, in a flurry of activity Jack Bauer did what every other man before him had done. He started to panic. Chloe laughed even harder at the novelty of Jack Bauer in a state of panic and, ignoring his scowl and his efforts to carry her to the car, she kissed him and told him again how much she loved him.

The end.


End file.
